AU2012216652B2 - Temporary roof anchor having shock absorbing means - Google Patents

Abstract

A temporary roof anchor 11 for fitment to a roof support structure 23b, the roof anchor comprising: first attachment means 15 for temporary fitment to the roof support structure; second attachment means 16 remote from the first attachment means for attaching safety equipment; and shock absorbing means 13 having a deformable region extending between the first and second attachment means in a first length when not subject to a deformation force corresponding to a critical sudden load, the shock absorbing means lying substantially in a single plane and comprising a substantially rigid structure that, when subject to the critical sudden load, deforms, elongating to a greater length than the first length.

Description

TEMPORARY ROOP ANCHOR HAVING SHOCK ABSORBING MEANS TECHNICAL FIELD, The present invention relates to a temporary roof anchor for attaching devices, apparatus or equipment to a roof surface and, more particularly, to a roof anchor for 6 temporary fitment to a roof stmeture clad with metal sheeting, the roof anchor also including shock absorbing means, The devics, apparatus or equipment to be attached may include safety equipment such as a safety harnesses, ropes or other safety devices adapted to secure a roof worker against falling and injury. Whil1t tho invention derives particular advantage when used in conjunction with a 10 metal roof, it may also be utilised with any roof where access to the structure supporting the cladding is feasible and accordigly no limitation is implied by a primary reference to metal rooves in the following description. BACKGROUND ART Several solutions have been proposed for providing anchor points on a roof, but 16 these are normally intended for permanent fitmient. Such anchor points are made available so thit a person working on the roof for example, can attach himself to the anchor point by means of a rope or cable etc, so that in the event of a fall, he will be constrained from falling off the roof. Thus, conventional roof anchoring devices for permanent fitment require access to 20 the roof support stUCture such as a batten or rafter, Direct access to the support structure is generally required and involves mounting the roof anchor prior to the application of the external covering of the roof such as tiles, sarking, sheeting or other cladding so that upon application of the extemal covering to the.support structure, the roof anchor extends proud of the extemalcovering. The anchor will 25 of course need to be suitably flashed to provide a weatherproofed fitment. On the other hand, if the external covering has already been applied to the roof support structure, then at least one unit of the external covering, og a single sheet of covering, must be removed to provide access to the roof support structure, Thus, for example, where large units of sheeting fortn the external covering of the roof, 3o considerable time and effort may have to be expended to remove a single unit to gain access to the roof support structure. Furthermore, there is also a risk that damage to the covering may occur, or more particularly, once it is re-laid, the covering might not properly seal against the elements.

However, the removal of covering as described above may be impractical or inconvenient. Altematively, so-called retro-fit systems have been developed which provide a solution for securing a permanent anchor point by using a tool though an access facility, ie a relatively small opening for example, which is then later scaled. 6 In any event, all of the foregoing solutions have as their basic premise that the anchor is left permanently in place once fitted. This however may not be convenient or even desirable having regard to aesthetic considerations and may be unnecessarily wasteful as there maybe little need for an anchor point at'any tine in at least the foreseeable future. Furthermore anchor points may be desired at various 10 locations, particularly as work progresses on a site, once again adding to the total cost if several permanent anchors are utilised., To this end, a solution which provides for a temporary anchor point, especially one which could be fitted to a metal roof, and removed after any necessary work has been completed, would be advantageous. A useful solution to this problem is therefore-presents itself when one takes into account the typical way in which a metal roof is constructed. Typically metal cladding is affixed with screws at intervals along a batten which in turn is affixed to rafters in typical fashion. A solution is therefore available by simply removing sufficient screws from a section of cladding, and affixing a.suitable temporary anchor over the cladding by replacing 20 the existing screws using the existing holes through the cladding, Thus the screws would then pass through suitable holes in the temporary anchor and through the existing holes in the cladding and thence into the supporting structure below. Upon completion of the work, the screws can then be removed again, the tomporayr anchor removed, and the screws replaced once more to hold the cladding in place as 20 it was originally affixed. In this way, there would be no need to disturb the roof structure.or cladding in any way other than -to remove some of the existing screws, in order to attach the temporary anchor, the screws being replaced after the necessary work on the roof. has been completed and the temporary anchor has been removed. 3o This would provide a simple, useful and economic solution to the problem of providing a temporary anchor point for safety equipment and the like, which could then be readily removed once the work was completed. The temporary anchor bould then be used at another location on the same site or taken away altogether and uscd on another site. 2 Of course, such a solution would still need to be effective in ensuring adequate safety standards are met, that is to say the anchor itself in conjunction with its fitment would need to meet the necessary safety standards. It should be stressed that anchors which have hitherto been suitable for permanent fitmencdo not lend s themselves to attachment as temporary anchors in this way. it would therefore be advantageous if suqh a temporary anchor were not only to meet the desired safety standards, but if it were itself designed to be portable so that it could be easily taken from one work site to another, Thus, in surmnary, it would be advantageous if a temporary roof anchor were 1o available which could be affixed directly to assupporting roof structure for a metal clad roof, by affixing the anchor through the metal cladding at points already utilised for screwing the cladding to the structure, without otherwise disturbing the metal cladding itself, It would also.be further advantageous if sucih a roof anchor system was provided 15 with shock absorbing means in order to minimize injury from a person utilising the anchor point in the eynt of a fall. Further, it would also be desirable if the anchor point were multi-dirctional to the extent that it worked efficiently no matter from which direction forces might bo applied in the event of a fall. In addition, it would also be advantageous if such an anchor could also be fitted. 2a directly to any stable structure, including the supporting structure for a tile roof, albeit with the necessity of removing some tiles or other cladding eto, to allow access to the underlying structure where applicable, OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a temporary roof anchor 2a especially for metal clad rooves which ambliorates one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages associated with the prior art, particularly by providing a temporary anchor point which may be mounted directly over the metal roof cladding, utilising the existing fixing points for the metal cladding itself, the anchor being so constructed as to progressively absorb the effects of a sudden.load so applied thereto, and wherein the anchor functions usefully in all directions, It should also be understood that whilst the invention related primarily to the attachment of a temporary anchor to a roof as described, the invention will also be applicable in many other instances where attachment of a device to another surface 3 or structure is required, whether a wall or ceiling for example. Thus any reference to a roof, whether metal or otherwise, is also meant to encompass reference to any structure, where, by suitable adaptation the invention may also be utilised. 5 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a temporary roof anchor for fitment to a roof support structure or the like, especially a roof support structure having metal cladding affixed thereto, wherein the temporary roof anchor is provided with a flexible first attachment means for temporary fitment of the roof anchor to a plurality of fixing points on the roof support structure, a o second attachment means remote from the first attachment means for attaching devices, apparatus or equipment, especially safety equipment, thereto, and shock absorbing means having a deformable region located between the flexible first and second attachment means. The first attachment means may comprise a webbing material having a plurality of spaced apart fixing points by means of which the webbing material may be affixed to the roof support structure 5 utilising the existing fixing means which hold the metal cladding to the roof structure. Preferably, the shock absorbing means is in the form of a metal bar or narrow plate, cut so as form a concertina arrangement which can progressively deform under load. Preferably the shock absorption is provided by one or more suitably shaped portions of material cut or otherwise formed so that when a force is applied thereto, there is created a deformation therein in the form 0 of a generally linear extension of that portion, i.e. by effectively straightening or "unbending" such region. Thus the anchor is so designed that deformation by bending, i.e. unbending or straightening, of the shock absorbing region, in combination with either of the attachment regions as described herein, where appropriate, provides an absorption of the forces applied to the anchor from any angle, that is to say if a load is exerted from any direction, the anchor is able to 25 accommodate that sudden load in suitable fashion. In this way the anchor will provide a suitable shock absorbing means against for example a sudden load arising from a person attached thereto falling from the roof. With advantage the shock absorbing means in the form described may be covered with a rubber sleeve or similar to protect it. 30 This sleeve may also provide a region where safety instructions may be written. On the other hand any suitable shock absorbing means may be utilised which functions to dampen the forces applied under sudden load, such as when a person attached to the roof anchor falls from the roof. 4 Although any suitable attachment means may be utilised to affix safety equipment and the like, preferably the second attachment means by which the safety equipment such as a harness etc is attached to the shock absorbing means is in the form of a simple eye located near its extremity, 5 remote from where it is attached to the roof structure, and through which the safety equipment may be attached in known fashion. Preferably the webbing material providing the attachment means for affixing the anchor to the roof structure, is a polyester webbing capable of supporting a high tensile load, for example in excess of 10 tonnes. Whilst polyester webbing is the preferred material, any webbing material, o including nylon and/or composites having the ability to withstand similar loads may be employed. Preferably the webbing is a single length of webbing material, although other arrangements adapted to perform as described may be utilised. Where a single length of webbing is employed, it has been found that a suitable length is around Is 1.5 to 2 m in length, preferably about 1.8 metres, With advantage, this length of webbing can be inserted through a slot provided in the end 5 of the shock absorbing means remote from the end having the means to attach the safety devices etc thereto. In this way the webbing may extend for approximately equal lengths either side of the slot, By affixing the webbing to the roof structure either side of the slot, allows for the shock absorbing means to move to some extent between at least the first fixing points located adjacent to and either side of the slot located in the end of the shock absorber. This allows the temporary 0 anchor to function effectively in all directions. Preferably the fixing points in the webbing include the plurality of holes, being preferably reinforced holes, formed in the webbing. Preferably, the preferred method of attaching the webbing to the roof structure will be by utilizing screws inserted through the holes in the webbing and into the supporting structure of the roof 25 material. However, other forms of fixing may also be utilized, as discussed below, and no limitation should be inferred from a general so reference to screws as the medium by which the webbing is attached to the roof. Preferably six such holes are provided in the webbing material, so as to spread the load, as described later herein. Under conditions where a fall occurs, successive screws will take the load 30 and should the first screws adjacent the shock absorbing means fail, successive screws will then take up the load, causing a diminishing of the forces as the fall progresses, Whilst six holes has been found to be most 5 preferable, other numbers of holes may be employed, although it will be appreciated they will be generally in pairs, to provide equal numbers of holes either side of where the webbing attaches to the shock-absorbing means. In its most simplest fonn of course, even one hole may suffice where the length of webbing is s for example simply looped back on itself andjoined. However, given that safety considerations aie paramount, it is preferred to utilise additional holes to provide additional attachment points should those closest to the shock absorbing means fail. Thus it is preferred to have at least 4 holes and more preferably at least six, where a single length of webbing is passed through a slit in the end of the shock absorbing 10 means as described above. Whilst it is preferred that the shook absorbing means has sufficient energy absorbing capability so as to deform under load without allowing any of the screws pulling out, the provision of six holes, ie three either side of the slot in the shock absorber provide for additional safety, should the first'sorews adjacent the shock ir absorber fail. To provide added safety, six rather merely four screwsare recommended, With.advantage the holes in the webbing are provided with metal reinforcements in the form of metal eyelets formed through the web. It is preferred that the holes bc formed in the webbing material by spreading the fibres apart rather than cutting 2a through the webbing, On the other band any means by which holes are formed may be contemplated, Compensation for reduced strength may be made by widening the amount of material in the webbing for example. In any event, the metal eyelets then provide suitable reinforcement for such holes through which screws may be fitted, the crews then passing through the original. holes in the metal cladding and into the z support structure. The metal eyclts protet the webbing when inserting the screws and provide a reinfotcement so as the head of the screw is constrained from passing through the webbing, either during insertion of the screw, or subsequently should the temporary anchor be subjected to a sudden fall from a person attached thereto. Conventionally, eyelots are formed by utilising a two part construction, there being 31 a male and a female portion , such that the male portion has a tubular portion which extends through the hole and is pressed over, ic crimped or expanded over, the female portion on the other side, forming a flange aftor the tubular portion passes through the hole in the female portion. However, as the webbing required for the present invention is of necessity one as having a very robust construction, conventional eyeleU hajve been found to be 6 inadequate, generally inadequate, especially where rolatively thick webbing material, eg greater than about 3mm in thickness is utilised. Again however, where suitable compensation is otherwise made, by for example using broader webbing to compensate for a narrower thickness, conventional eyclts may be eriployed. 5 fn relation to the preferred webbing structure however, having a thickness in excess of say 3rnn, a simple alternative has been developed which involves the use of a three patty eyelet assembly, comprising two identical washers placed either side of the hole with a ferrule passing therethrough, each end of which is then caused to be pressed over both washers, ie forming flanges from both sides, in the same way as i1 the tubular portion of a conventional eyelet is pressed on one side as described above, bat in this case doubled here to form each side of the cyclet structure. With advantage, the this 6yclot according to the invention, can be inserted in auch heavy webbing material by having a series of spikes mounted along a supporting member, over which the webbing can be forced to first create the required holes by is spreading the fibres rather than cutting them. With a washer already located below the hole, ic on each spike, it is then a simple matter to slide the fer-le down the spike and force it through the hole, and fit another washer over each spike, A simple presa arrangement then squeezes from each side causing each end of the ferrule to fonn a flange on either side which then binds each washer to each side of ao the respective holes formed in the web, creating an effective three part metal eyelet having greater robustness than is attainable from a two part eyelet assembly. Thus, ii typical applications where metal sheeting is affixed to a roof structure with existing screws, when affixing the temporary anchor, the screws which hold the metal cladding are simply removed, the temporary anchor located in position and, 25 then held in place utilising those 6r other screws if necessary, by inserting the screws through the holes in the webbing, then passing through the original holes in the metal cladding and thenee into the supporting structure, generally a batten. Once the work is completed, the screws may then be removed again, the temporary anchor taken away and the screws refitted to hold the metal cladding in the way it 30 was originally found, It is of coure necessary that the screws hold the temporary anchor firmly and to this extent, a different length ofscrew(albeit with the same gauge) may need to be utilised to ensure proper penetration into the underlying batten, In the case of a timber batten, it has been found that the sdrews should penetrate at least 35 mm into a the batten. Similarly it is necessary with metal battens, that the screw thread .7 engages properly with the batten to avoid so-called overpassing of the thread as most roofing screws have a blank or unthreaded region below the head of the screw. On the hand, the invention is not meant to be limited to the use of screws as s aforementioned and any 5 suitable fixing means may be employed either by affixing to the underlying roof structure through existing holes or even to the roof sheeting itself, provided the fixing of the sheeting to the underlying structure is sufficiently sound and the means by which is the webbing is attached to the sheeting or structure is sufficient to withstand the forces discussed above. o In this regard, for example, so--called Klip Lock roofs do not have holes therethrough but are otherwise "clipped" down. By suitable adaptation, other fixing means which allow the webbing to attached to such sheeting are therefore meant to be within the scope of the invention. By utilising a webbing material, having as its major advantage complete flexibility it will be 5 understood that a variety of metal cladding profiles may thus be accommodated, the excess material between each fixing point, i.e. hole, simply allowed to form a loop between each fixing points. In other words the use of webbing material allows for simple adjustment to accommodate different profiles of metal cladding and different spacings of screws placed therein, whilst till providing adequate support for the temporary anchor if subjected to a sudden load. 0 Alternatively, where the roof support structure supports other than metal cladding, the webbing material may be affixed instead directly to the roof support structure after sufficient roof covering material, for example tiles, have been removed, In such cases the screws should be fitted preferably at least 100 mm apart along a rafter or batten. Therefore, although primarily intended for use with a metal 25 roof, the temporary anchor according to the invention, could be fitted to tiled roof or any other suitable stable structure, by attaching directly to the supporting structure, such as a rafter or batten, after removing one or more tiles as necessary to gain access to the underlying support structure. Preferably the webbing and the way in which it affixed to the roof support structure and/or the roof 30 cladding as described herein, co-operate with the shock absorbing means to further assist in minimising the forces experienced should a fall occur. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a temporary roof anchor for fitting to a roof support structure, the roof anchor comprising a flexible first attachment for temporary fitting to 35 the roof support structure; a second attachment, remote from the flexible first attachment, for attaching 8 equipment thereto; and a shock absorber having a deformable region that extends in-between the flexible first attachment and the second attachment at a first length when the shock absorber is not subject to a deformation force corresponding to a critical sudden load, wherein the shock absorber lies 5 substantially in a single plane and comprises a substantially rigid structure that, when subject to a critical sudden load, deforms, elongating to a length greater than the first length, wherein the flexible first attachment, or a part thereof, is able to bend back on itself to form a loop or a section of a loop. It will be understood from the embodiments described herein, that the design as described herein is 0 able to function irrespective of the direction of the load. 8A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will-be better understood from the following *an-limiting description of various aspects of an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the a dawings in which: Fig I is a perspective view of a temporary roof anchor according to one embodiment of the invention; Fig 4 is a plan view of a Euitable eanrgy absorbing shock absorber fbr use in. the roof anchor shown in Fig I; 10 Fig 3 is cross-soctional side elevation showing a detail of the eyelet for use in the temporary anchor shown in Fig 1; Fig 4 is a schematic side elevation of a temporary roof anebot shown in Fig I showing it affixed to a metal or timber batten supporting a metal roof cladding; and Fig 5 is a simple plan view of a temporary anchor shown in Fig attached to the is rafters of a tiled roof after removal of tiles DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring generally to Fig 1, there is shown a roof anchor generally referenced 11 according to one embodiment of ihe invention. The roof anchor 11 comprises a webbing material 12 and a shock absorber 13. Shock absorber 13 (shown in detail 20 in Fig 2) is sheathed in a rubber or latex sleeve 14 or similar. Extending from one end of the shock absorber 13 is a slot 15 through whiqh the length of webbing 12 is inserted. The other end of the shock absorber 13 is provided with a hole 16 to which safety devices such as a harness or rope (not shown) ma.y be attached. The webbing is provided with six holes 17 spaced along its length at approximately 25 300 to 400 mm centres. The holes 17 are preferably formed by piercing the webbing 12 to separate the fibres, rather than cutting a hole in the webbing 12 itself, which would weaken the webbing 12 at that point. Thesc holes 17 are further provided with metal eyelets generally referenced 18 to provide reinforcement. The conitriiction of each eyelet 1$ is shown in detail in Fig 3. 3o The holes 17 allow for fixing the temporary anchor 11 to a roof structure as shown in Figs 4 and 5 9 Referring to Figure 2, thcte is shown in detail the shock absorber 13, which is made from a sheet of stainless steel, eg 3mm thick, die cut to produce the aforementioned slot 15 at one end for receiving a length of webbing 12 and a hole 16 at the other end to which safety devices susch as harnesses and the like may be attached. 5 Therebetween is a region of concertita like bends generally referenced 19 formed by die cutting. Upon experiencing a sgddcn load, such as would occur when a perso attached to the temporary roof anchor 11 of which this shock absorber 13 is a part, the shock absorber 13 is caused to extend by, as it-were, "unbending", io concertina region 19 straightening out, This action provides for a cushioning of the 10 initial load when it is first applied, thereby effectively diminishing the energy of the load as the deformation progresses. The sleeve 14 described above protects the shock absorber 13 and may also be usefully used to display safety instructions etc. Referring to Fig 3, there is shown a three piece metal eyelet configuration generally lo referenced 18 as used in the temporary anchbri of Fig. 1. The eyelet 18 comprises two washers 20 which are caused to be pressed against either side of a hole 17 extending through a portion of webbing material 12 as described above, A ferrule member 21 is located through the hole 17 in the webbing 12 and by means of a press (not shown) has been bent at each end to form flanges 22 which secures the 2o eyelet assembly I in place, thereby reinforcing the hole 17. The metal construction of the eyelet 18 not only provides stability to the holes 17 formed by separating the fibres as described above, but also protects the each hole 17 formed in thc web 12, eg when inserting a screw therein (as shown in Figs 4 and 5), and furthermore also maintains the integrity of the webbing 12 in use so that it will not 26 pull away ftom the head of screw once fitted to a roofing structure. Referring then to Fig 4, there is shown schematically a temporary anchor II as described in Figures I to 3, attached to a roofing structure, in this case a batten 23 supporting a sheet of metal roof cladding 24. Batten 24 is shown schematically as . both a metal batten 24a and a timber batten 24b, In each case however, suitable so hex-headed roofing screws 25 have been utilised as is the norm. It is generally preferred that the screws in the timber batten 24b extend at least 35 into the batten 24b, whilst in the case of the metal batten 24a it is necessary to ensure that the threaded portion 26 of the screw 25 engages in the hole of the batten 25a without over extending as described earlier. 10 In either case, screws 25 which iiftially.secured the roof cladding 24 to the respective batten 23a/23b have been removed and replaced after the temporary anchor 11 has been located thereon, Either the original screws 26 have been a utilised or other screws 26 of the same gauge but of an appropriate length aig described have been used. The length of webbing 12 is allowed to simply "buckle up' or concertina along it length between rapective screw attachment points 26. With reference to Fig 5, there is shown an attachment of a of a temporary roof w anchor 11 to a pair of rafters 27 which have been exposed after a suitable number of tiles 28 have been removed. In this instance it is preferred that the screws 26 be located at least 100 mm apart. In either case, as illustrated in Fig 4 or 5, if a sudden load is applied to the temporary anchor 11 as would occur form a person att.ohed thereto falling ftomthe 15 roof, the bulk of the energy absorption will be initially taken up by the shock absorber 13 as it "unbende" a described above, If for any reason the first pair of crews 26' fail, the load will be progressively taken up by the next pair of screws 26'.', all the while the energy being dissipated as the fall, and hence the shock absorption, progresses. The provision of six screw holes 17 in the webbing 12 is to 2o provide addition safety against failure. Should the temporary anchor 11 be used in a fall, then it should be discarded. Otherwise, it may be removed by undoing the screws 26, taken away and in the case of a metal roof as shown in Fig 4, the original screws reinserted in the existing locations to once again secure the roof, or in the case of the tile roof shown in Fig 26 5, the tiles placed back in position. It will appreciated that many modifications and variations may be made to the. embodiment described herein by those skilled in the art without departing froi the spirit or scope of the invention. Throughout the specification and claims the word comprisee" and its derivatives are 30 intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the context requires otherwise. I1.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY It will be immediately apparent to persons skilled in the grt that the temporary roof anchor may provide an anchor point for a variety of activities carried out on rooh. For example, the roof anchor may provide a temporary anchor point for posts 6 supporting fences or other barriers erected for the safety of workmen working on the roof or may be used to source equipment associated with the actual work- on the roof, notwithstanding that its primary function is to provide safety for persons engaged on working on a roof. 12

Claims (15)

1. A temporary roof anchor for fitting to a roof support structure, the temporary roof anchor comprising: flexible first attachment adjustable to affix the roof anchor to a plurality of fixing points on the roof support structure for temporary fitment to the roof support structure; second attachment remote from the flexible first attachment means for attaching safety equipment; and shock-absorbing means having a deformable region extending in-between the flexible first attachment and second attachment, wherein the flexible first attachment, or a part thereof, is able to bend back on itself to form a loop or section of a loop, and wherein the flexible first attachment includes a plurality of holes adapted to be affixed to the fixing points.

2. The temporary roof anchor according to claim 1, wherein the deformable region comprises a concertinaed arrangement.

3. The temporary roof anchor according to claim 1, wherein the deformable region is formed so that when a critical sudden load is applied thereto, the deformation region unbends.

4. The temporary roof anchor according to claim 1, wherein a critical sudden load is applied to the roof anchor when a person attached thereto falls from a height.

5. The temporary roof anchor according to claim 1, wherein the deformation region is covered with a sleeve to protect it in normal use until subject to the critical sudden load.

6. The temporary roof anchor according to claim 1, wherein the flexible first attachment comprises a flexible webbing.

7. The temporary roof anchor according to claim 1, wherein the second attachment comprises an eye for attachment of the safety equipment.

8. A temporary roof anchor for fitting to a roof support structure, the roof anchor comprising: 13 a flexible first attachment for temporary fitting to the roof support structure; a second attachment, remote from the flexible first attachment, for attaching equipment thereto; and a shock absorber having a deformable region that extends in-between the flexible first attachment and the second attachment at a first length when the shock absorber is not subject to a deformation force corresponding to a critical sudden load, wherein the shock absorber lies substantially in a single plane and comprises a substantially rigid structure that, when subject to a critical sudden load, deforms, elongating to a length greater than the first length, wherein the flexible first attachment, or a part thereof, is able to bend back on itself to form a loop or a section of a loop.

9. The temporary roof anchor of claim 8, wherein the flexible first attachment comprises a flexible webbing having a plurality of holes thereon adapted to be affixed to fixing points of the roof support structure.

10. The temporary roof anchor of claim 9, wherein each hole of the plurality of holes is formed by separating the fibers of the webbing, not by cutting the webbing fibers.

11. The temporary roof anchor of claim 9, wherein each hole of the plurality of holes is reinforced by a metal eyelet assembly.

12. The temporary roof anchor of claim 9, wherein the webbing is inserted through a slot in an end of the shock absorber remote from the second attachment.

13. The temporary roof anchor of claim 1, wherein the shock absorber is formed from a single metal sheet.

14. The temporary roof anchor of claim 1, wherein the shock absorber is cut to form a region of concertina-like bends.

15. The temporary roof anchor of claim 12, wherein the shock absorber comprises a planar metal piece die cut from a single sheet and comprising a plurality of concertina-like bends extending between the slot and the second attachment and adapted to unbend on application of a critical sudden load. 14